It is not uncommon for some automatic swimming pool cleaners to become stuck on the steps and corners of a swimming pool. Over time, attempts have been made to develop solutions to this problem. One such attempt is to use a plastic wheel mounted to the hose extending between the swimming pool skimmer and the automatic swimming pool cleaner immediately adjacent to the head of the pool cleaner. The wheel acts as a bumper and has enjoyed some success in keeping the pool cleaner from becoming lodged on the steps and in the corners of the pool. Other attempts include bumpers which are attached directly to the pool cleaning head. Although both types of bumpers help in preventing the pool cleaner head from becoming stuck, neither type has proved entirely successful.
Generally speaking, there are two main types of automatic pool cleaners: a so called "suction side" cleaner, and a "pressure side" cleaner. In a suction side cleaner, a vacuum hose runs from the cleaner to the pool's filtration system, usually through the pool skimmer which is connected to the vacuum or return side of the filtration system. In this type of cleaner, the cleaner's movement is controlled by an internal on/off valve. As the cleaner moves about the floor and walls of the pool, it vacuums dirt, leaves, and the like and sends the debris through the hose to the filtration system. Examples of commercially available suction side cleaners are sold under the brand names "Kreepy Krauly" and "Baracuda".
In a pressure side cleaning system, water under pressure is supplied by a pump through a hose to the cleaner head and it is this pressurized water which operates the cleaner.